Constellations

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Constellations
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What are constellations?

• A group of stars that form a pattern in the
  sky.

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Cool Facts about Constellations

• There are 88 constellations
• The constellations you see depend on your
  location, date, and time.
• Most have legends, myths, or stories behind them.

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HOW DO YOU FIND THEM?

• Planisphere or Star Wheel

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Why do the Stars appear to move in the night sky?
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EARTHS ROTATION!

• Stars in the northern hemisphere appear to rotate
  around Polaris (the north star)
• Polaris aligns with the axis of rotation for the
  Earth The North Pole

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The Stars seem to spin around the North Star
(Polaris)
North Star
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Polaris The North Star

• As the Earth rotates on its axis its celestial
  north pole remains directly in line with Polaris.
• This forms the circles seen in the previous
  photograph

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YOU SEE DIFFERENT CONSTELLATIONS FROM EACH
HEMISPHERE.
Southern Hemisphere
Northern Hemisphere
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Now, for a tour of the seven major constellations

• Cassiopeia Orion
• Cygnus Ursa major
• Scorpius Ursa minor
• Draco

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Cassiopeia The Queen
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Cassiopeia The Queen

• Brightest Star Schedar
• Best season to view all year
• The Myth
• Cassiopeia was the queen of Ethiopia. She was
  so proud of her beauty and bragged about it. She
  offended the sea god Poseidon. He sent a sea
  monster to attack her kingdom and teach her some
  humility.
• According to the legend, the sea god Poseidon
  placed the figure of Cassiopeia among the stars
  to remind people of her vanity.

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CYGNUS THE SWAN
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Cygnus The Swan

• Brightest Star Deneb
• Best season to view all year
• The Myth
• One day three hunters were hiking through the
  forest when they came upon a clear lake. The
  lake was home to many birds including a beautiful
  snow goose. One hunter shot his bow and the snow
  goose fell into the lake. As the sky darkened,
  the spirit of the snow goose formed a
  constellation
• in the sky.

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Scorpius The Scorpion
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Scorpius The Scorpion

• Brightest Star Antares
• Best season to view summer
• The Myth
• To the ancient Greeks, the constellation
  Scorpius was the image of a scorpion. The
  constellation was related to the death of the
  giant hunter Orion. There are several different
  stories about Orion's death. According to one
  story, Orion wanted to kill all the earth's wild
  animals, but the Earth goddess Gaia got angry
  because she made the animals.
• The goddess sent a scorpion to attack Orion.
  The scorpion stung Orion to death with its tail.
  As a reward, Gaia changed the insect into a
  constellation.

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Orion The Hunter
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Orion The Hunter

• Brightest Star Rigel and Betelgeuse
• Best season to view the winter
• The Myth
• Orion was a very good hunter, but also
  boastful. Gaia, the goddess of Earth, became fed
  up with Orions boast so she sent a deadly
  scorpion to kill the hunter. The scorpion ended
  Orions bragging. Both Orion and Scorpius were
  placed in the sky but to avoid any further
  battles, they are never in the sky at the same
  time. Orion is seen in the winter and Scorpius
  is seen in the summer.

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Ursa Major Big Bear
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Ursa Major Big Bear

• Brightest Star Dubhe and Merak
• Best season to view all year
• The Myth
• Zeus, king of the gods, fell in love with
  Callisto. Together they had a son, Arcas. Zeus
  changed Callisto into a bear to protect her from
  his jealous wife, Hera. When Arcas grew up, he
  almost shot his mother by mistake. Zeus
  protected Callisto by changing Arcas into another
  bear (Ursa Minor-Little Dipper) and placing both
  bears in the sky.

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Ursa Minor Little Bear

• Ursa Minor, aka, Little Bear, contains the Little
  Dipper and the North Star, Polaris

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Ursa Minor Little Bear

• Brightest Star Polaris
• Best season to view all year
• Remember Zeus loved Callisto and changed her into
  a bear to protect her from his jealous wife.
  Arcas liked to hunt and almost killed his mother,
  Callisto, Big Bear. Zeus decided to also change
  Arcas into a bear to protect both his son and his
  lover. He placed both bears in the sky together.

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Draco The Dragon
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Draco The Dragon

• Draco the dragon fought Minerva during the wars
  between the giants and the gods. Minerva threw
  Draco's twisted body into the heavens before it
  had time to unwind itself.
• Brightest Star DRA
• Best seen in the Fall.